licence again

[Squibbly]

i am considering getting a new barebones system, the things is that its got
no OS on it, could i use an upgrade on my current desktop of vista, and then
use the full version of xp on my new barebones system? or is that a breach
of license?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

If you purchase an upgrade version of Vista and upgrade the XP system, then
the XP license on that system becomes part of the Vista license. Not that
you couldn't, but to install XP on another machine using that license would
be a breach of the license agreement. If you were to purchase a full version
of Vista and use it to upgrade that machine, then you may transfer that XP
license to another machine provided it is a retail one (many OEM licenses do
not provide for transfer to another system and are locked to the hardware
they are sold with).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Roy Coorne]

Squibbly scribbled:

i am considering getting a new barebones system, the things is that its got
no OS on it, could i use an upgrade on my current desktop of vista, and then
use the full version of xp on my new barebones system? or is that a breach
of license?

"or" is correct

Roy

 

[Squibbly]

"If you were to purchase a full version

of Vista and use it to upgrade that machine, then you may transfer that XP
license to another machine provided it is a retail one"

the system would be a homebuilt system not a OEM pc

 

[Theo]

When you use the XP license as a basis for an update version
of Vista, the XP license expires immediately when you
install Vista and it is no longer legal to utilize the XP
license on any computer.

This scenario is exactly the same as when we were given the
opportunity to "upgrade" to Win x64 via the Technology
Advancement Program. The Win XP 32-bit license that was
used to obtain the Win x64 expired the day we installed the
TAP Win x64.

This is nothing new with upgrades. If you check with other
software companies, the old license expires when you upgrade
to the next major version.

OEM versions of Windows are not transferable from the
original computer to any other computer.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Then you should be fine provided it is a retail version of WinXP. A generic
OEM version license is permanently tied to the first system it is activated
on and is not transferrable. I'm talking about the version of XP, not the
type of system it is installed on.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You would need a "Full Version" of Windows Vista
and not an "Upgrade Version".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Squibbly"wrote:

| i am considering getting a new barebones system, the things is that its got
| no OS on it, could i use an upgrade on my current desktop of vista, and then
| use the full version of xp on my new barebones system? or is that a breach
| of license?

 

[Squibbly]

well it is a retail version of xp
thanks for your help in clearing this up

 

[Squibbly]

hey?

 

[Theo]

As explained before:

When you use the Retail XP license as a basis for an update
version of Vista, the Retail XP license expires immediately
when you install Vista and it is no longer legal to utilize
that Retail XP license on any computer.

This scenario is exactly the same as when we were given the
opportunity to "upgrade" to Win x64 via the Technology
Advancement Program. The Win XP 32-bit license that was
used to obtain the Win x64 expired the day we installed the
TAP Win x64.

This is nothing new with upgrades. If you check with other
software companies, the old license expires when you upgrade
to the next major version.

 

[Squibbly]

but if you un-install it surely your allowed to install it on another pc. i
know that if you have OEM xp, that it will be locked only for OEM pc. i got
a retail for my desktop, which is a homebuilt pc. all i want to know if i
can then upgrade it to vista and which everyone seems to say is effectively
uninstalling xp and its license. therefore surely it will then be allowed to
install on another pc, just xp unless i wanted another license just to save
on the cost of shelling out for another vista dvd. i know it will be slight
saving, but better some savings than none

 

[Richard G. Harper]

No, upgrading to Vista is not the same as uninstalling Windows XP, legally
speaking. If you read the EULA on the upgrade version you will find it gets
tied to the existing Windows version, the two products become one. Moving
one means the other must move as well. That's the way it is.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Theo]

As explained before:

When you use the Retail XP license as a basis for an update version of
Vista, the Retail XP license expires immediately when you install Vista
and it is no longer legal to utilize that Retail XP license on any
computer.

This scenario is exactly the same as when we were given the opportunity to
"upgrade" to Win x64 via the Technology Advancement Program. The Win XP
32-bit license that was used to obtain the Win x64 expired the day we
installed the TAP Win x64.

This is nothing new with upgrades. If you check with other software
companies, the old license expires when you upgrade to the next major
version.

 

[Theo]

In addition, I would not be at all surprised that during an
upgrade to Vista Microsoft would actually read the Product
Key of the installed XP and then deactivate it in their
database. This would result in you not being able to
activate that XP Product Key in any future installations.

In the TAP you provided the Product Key you were "trading
in" and Microsoft deactivated that key in their database.
Any attempts to activate that XP key were denied with a
message that it was an invalid key.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

OEM copies of Windows are on sale at places like NewEgg and may who put
together their own systems buy these OEM copies. Such copies may not be
transferred later.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No. Express Upgrade coupons are only available with OEM copies of XP.
There is a different program for retail copies purchased after Oct 26.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/techguarantee/northamerica.mspx

Whether or not the XP is full retail does not matter anyway. The fact that
Vista is an upgrade edition is what matters.

If you tie the XP license (full, upgrade, OEM, whatever) by the Vista
Upgrade Edition license you are stuck. You cannot move the XP license
because it is now part of the Vista license.

The Express Upgrade coupon from your manufacturer is likely for a BIOS
locked edition that will only work on your specific computer. You would
need to ask the vendor.

 

[Theo]

Would you please translate that, Dessy? It sound a bit
convoluted! What's your point and what does it have to do
with licensing?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The express upgrade coupon from the manufactuer of a system can indeed be
BIOS locked because the serial number of the box tells the mfg all he needs
to know about the BIOS id. The express upgrade coupon provided with an OEM
copy of XP by an outfit like NewEgg would not be BIOS locked.

I would not buy an OEM copy of XP just to get an Express Upgrade coupon.
The purpose of OEM copies of XP is to install and run XP on a new computer.
Using them as shortcuts to something else means forever relying on a legacy
copy of Windows when you have to reinstall Vista for some reason.

If you buy XP Home OEM the coupon will be for Vista Home Basic, not Home
Premium, and to get to HP you would need yet another upgrade via Anytime
Upgrade. At that point you will have spent more to get Vista Home Premium
than buying the retail box.

I cannot recommend Home Basic. See the Windows Vista Product Guide for a
side by side comparision of features in Vist Home Basic and Premium.

If you buy XP Pro OEM you will get a coupon for Vista Business.

I just think you are trying to use OEM copies to shortcut a more
straightforward approach that may cost a few more dollars but would
nevertheless be a sounder solution. I would just buy the appropriate Vista
Upgrade edition and be done with it. Anyway, you can save about six weeks
in getting your copy of Vista by NOT going the XP OEM route. It could be as
late as mid-March before delivery of the media ordered through the express
upgrade coupons.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What you may not have thought of is that Vista retail editions are not on
sale yet. That means that Vista OEM editions are not on sale yet either. I
think what you are trying to do is unneccesary. Just wait until Vista OEM
editions go on sale and just buy one.

You will get a much better installation of Vista than with the upgrade route
and you will not have to wait for four to six extra weeks to get Vista via
the express coupon redemption route. You also will not have to reinstall XP
in order to reapply the upgrade should you have to recover the system. The
alternative to that is image backups, but CompletePC Backup is not available
for the Home editions and you would have to spend another $50 or so for a
program like Acronis. XP OEM and Vista OEM prices will be roughly the same.

If you want OEM and you want Vista, just buy Vista OEM.

XP OEM plus the express upgrade coupon is only for folks who want Vista but
need an OS today. If you don't need an OS until Vista is available, then
just wait for the Vista OEM.

 

[Barry Watzman]

There are two questions here:

-Is it legal
-Is it physically possible

The answer to the first question is clearly "no"

The answer to the second question is unclear at this time.